Venetian blind lock



June 26, 1956 L ow VENETIAN BLIND LOCK Filed July 1, 1953 mvENi' R J'M /M M ATTORNEY United States Patent VENETIAN BLIND LOCK Saul Leibow, Providence, R. 1.

Application July 1, 1953, Serial No. 365,478

Claims. (Cl. 24--73) The present invention relates to Venetian blinds and the like, and has particular reference to a novel lock which holds the blind in place. when the window is open.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive lock for a Venetian blind, which may be readily applied and which holds the blind securely in place when the window is open.

Another object of the invention is to provide a removable lock for a Venetian blind which is resiliently mounted on the window sill and resiliently grips the base board of the Venetian blind.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a spring lock for a Venetian blind having a spring finger for gripping a window sill and a second spring finger for gripping the base board of a Venetian blind.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a window with Venetian blind, showing the novel Venetian blind lock;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lock frame;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively perspective views of the upper and lower sections thereof;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the completed lock after the frame has been rubber coated;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified lock construction; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified spring clamp for resiliently holding a window shade.

It has been found desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive demountable lock for holding a Venetian blind in place when the window is open, to thus prevent banging, swaying, and other movement of the blind. To this end, I have devised an inconspicuous spring lock which has two gripping parts, one to slip on and releasably engage the forward edge of a window sill, and the other to releasably grip the lower base slat of the Venetian blind, the parts being resiliently displaceable so that the blind is continually maintained under tension, and will not swing away from the window even in a breeze, thus ensuring both privacy and draft free ventilation at all times. 1 preferably form the lock frame of resilient sheet metal, and I coat the frame with a rubber or similar coating, to provide a yielding contact between the window and the blind which resiliently gives with a breeze and swings back, which will not rust, and which prevents marring of painted surfaces.

Referring to the drawings, the novel blind lock 10 includes a metal frame 11 having a lower section 12 and an upper section 13, the metal frame being covered or coated with a covering 14 of rubber or other yieldable material.

Patented June 26, 1956 The lower section 12, see Fig. 5, includes a fiat body portion 15 with a terminal hook 16 at one end, the other end 17 having upstanding spaced upwardly extending terminal lugs 18, 19, a centrally positioned catch aperture 20.

The upper section 12 includes a fiat body portion 21, of shorter length than the body portion 15, having a terminal hook 22 at one end, the other end 23 being curled and having spaced edge Slots 24, 25 extending inwardly to receive the terminal lugs 18, 19; the central portion 26 of the end 23 and the adjacent body portion 21 is slotted to provide a spring tongue 27 which is rounded and has an extension 28 with an elongated finger 29 which is bent down and back to hook into the catch aperture 20.

A lug 30 is struck out centrally from the stock of the body portion 21 and is bent downwardly to act as a stop for preventing contact of the body portions of the upper and lower'sections, and aligned openings 31, 32 are provided in the upper and lower section body portions to receive a holding nail or the like, if desired.

The assembly of the two sections is accomplished by sliding the end 17 of the lower section into the end 23 of the upper section, whereby the two sections interlock with. the body portions in superimposed relation and the hooks at the ends of the body portions in oppositely directed relation. The assembly is then dipped into a coating solution such as latex, or other material suitable for this purpose, to provide an overall covering 14.

If desired, a one-piece construction may be provided by bending sheet metal such as soft steel into the shape shown in Fig. 7, wherein the lock 33 includes an upper section 34 with a terminal hook 35 at one end, a lower section 36 of greater length with a terminal hook 37 at one end, the hooks being oppositely directed in opposed relation, and the upper and lower sections being cemented at their other ends by a resilient bend 38.

The novel lock may be modified as shown by reference numeral 39 for use with a window shade, see Fig. 8, by forming the upper section 40 with an upright hook portion 41 to resiliently grip the lower wood strip portion of the window shade.

The novel lock may be applied to blinds which are hung either inside or outside the window frame, is attached without screws or tools, and may, if desired, be left in place on either the window sill or the blind. Its spring tension yieldingly holds the blinds neat and trim, even when they are tilted up to provide privacy with ventilation, and the rubber coating prevents marring or damage to the window sill or the blind.

Although the preferred material for the frame is resilient sheet steel, any suitable material may be used, such as resilient metal or plastic, and changes in the size, shape, and material may be made to meet the requirements for diilerent Venetian blind locks, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lock for a Venetian blind, comprising a lower section having a terminal hook at one end adapted to snap seat over the forward edge of a window sill, an upper section of shorter length having a terminal hook at one end adapted to releasably grip the lower base slat of a Venetian blind, said sections being in superimposed relation with their hooks back to back, a spring element integral with one section and engaging the other section, and pivotal means resiliently connecting the other ends of the sections together.

2. A lock for a Venetian blind, comprising a lower section having a terminal hook at one end adapted to snap seat over the forward edge of a window sill, an upper section of shorter length having a terminal hook at one endadapted to releasably grip the lower base slat of a Venetian blind, said sections being in superimposed relation with their hooks back to back, a spring element integral with the upper section and engaging the lower section, and pivotal means resiliently connecting the other ends of the sections together.

3. A lock for a Venetian blind, comprising a lower section having a terminal hook at one end adapted to snap seat over the forward edge of a Window sill, an upper section ofshorter length having a terminal hook at one end adapted to releasably grip the lower base slat of a Venetian blind, said sections being in superimposed relation with their hooks back to back, a spring element integral with one section and engaging the other section, pivotal means resiliently connecting the other ends of the sections together, and means between said sections limiting movement of said sections towards each other.

4. A lock for a Venetian blind, comprising a lower section having a terminal hook at one end adapted to snap seat over the forward edge of a Window sill, the other end having spaced lugs and a catch opening, an

upper section of shorter length having a terminal hook at one end adapted to releasably grip the lower base slat of to back and with the lugs of the lower section seated in the slots of the upper section with the finger of the upper section seated in the catch opening of the lower section.

5. A lock for a Venetian blind, comprising a lower section having a terminal hook at one end adapted to snap seat over the forward edge of a window sill, the other end having spaced lugs and a catch opening, an upper section of shorter length having a terminal hook at one end adapted to releasably grip the lower base slat of a Venetian blind, the other end being curled and including side slots and a central spring tongue with an elongated finger, said sections being pivotally connected to each other in superimposed relation with their hooks back to back and with the lugs of the lower section seated in the slots of the upper section and with the finger of the upper section seated in the catch opening of the lower section, the upper section having a spacing lug extending towards the lower section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Potter July 21, 1885 

